


Safekeeping

by mirrorless



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence/Gore, Gen, Mostly A Melodramatic Death Scene, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-31
Updated: 2016-12-31
Packaged: 2018-09-13 17:53:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9134791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mirrorless/pseuds/mirrorless
Summary: A dark, wet stream trickles from the corner of Kagami's mouth, glistening slightly in the dim light."No matter," he murmurs, running his spare hand over his pale face and up into his sweaty hair. "Do what you will. Come the dawn, there won't be an Uchiha left on this rotten earth."





	

**Author's Note:**

> This fic takes place in a universe just a bit parallel to that of "Commit Ourselves Into the Depths". All that really needs to be known is that Hashirama and Madara killed each other after Tobirama felled Izuna, before the village was founded. Tobirama is now the military leader of the Senju and the clans they've allied with. These do not include the Uchiha.

 

 

Stupid.

He'd been so, _so_ very stupid not to realize the hellish flames that surrounded himself and his teammate, licking convincingly at their skin and armor and threatening imminent immolation, had only been an Uchiha bastard's genjutsu until he'd found himself bound and gagged on the floor of a filthy hut somewhere within the enemy's camp.

Torifu being less than gently deposited on top of him had somehow shaken them both back to sense. All Danzō can do is glare impotently up at his age-same captors from the dirt floor as his Akimichi comrade considerately tries to flop off to his side, allowing Danzō's lungs to function at greater capacity.

The sounds of ongoing battle are muted here, though Danzō can still make out the occasional explosion and wail of mortal agony.

"They're his all right," a scrawny Uchiha with a high ponytail says confidently from a small huddle of bodies in the corner. "An Akimichi paired with a little shit with his chin all scarred to hell? These are the Senju's own students, no doubt about it."

"Fuck." Ponytail's shorter, considerably more nervous companion declares with near disbelief, rubbing his gauntleted arms as though to fend off cold, or something even more dire. "We _actually_ found them first. So there's hope, then? We hand the Hokage's brats over, safe and sound, and- and we get to live long enough to get the hell out of Fire Country, right?"

"That _is_ the plan," Ponytail sounds almost giddy with relief. "Let Setsuna rot among the ashes of his holy war. Not all of us are willing to lay down our lives for the honor of our dear, Senju-dispatched ancestors. This," he gestures behind him to the eavesdropping Leaf nin on the ground, "is our chance to _survive_."

A laugh, mocking and far too wet to be issuing from healthy lungs, crackles through the tiny building as Ponytail finishes his speech.

"You're complete fools, the both of you," comes a rasping drawl from a third Uchiha shinobi, who, now that Danzō's eyes have adjusted to the darkness, can be just barely discerned from the shadows lining the wall where he's obviously been propped, clutching tightly at his ribs.

"We've taunted the beast too many times now to expect any mercy - Senju Tobirama won't spare even the freshest Uchiha babe still at its mother's tit, much less a pair of cowering deserters."

"Fuck you, Kagami!" The nervous Uchiha squeaks, moving as though to strike his wounded comrade. Ponytail stops him, grabbing his companion's arm as he gazes with some pity down at the wheezing shinobi on the floor.

"I'm sorry you won't make it, Kagami," he says with true regret. "I know it was your dream to see the fabled lightning storms of Uzushio."

The injured man waves away the sympathy with his unoccupied arm. "I never expected to have that dream fulfilled." He winces, drawing away from the wall a bit, clutching his middle tighter as his hair falls over his eyes. "Just as I never expected to be slammed into a giant tree by an unnecessarily forceful Suiton. Ugh."

A dark, wet stream trickles from the corner of Kagami's mouth, glistening slightly in the dim light.

"No matter," he murmurs, running his spare hand over his pale face and up into his sweaty hair. "Do what you will. Come the dawn, there won't be an Uchiha left on this rotten earth."

"You should have left him in the forest for the Senju to finish," the anxious Uchiha mutters, glaring down at his wounded kinsman as though that alone might do the trick.

Ponytail sighs softly, then steps over to Torifu's side, pulling the Akimichi, still thoroughly bound, to his feet. Danzō lets out a string of muffled curses that are ignored by all three Uchiha.

"You get to be the bait, Akimichi-san," Ponytail says with false cheer. "Or a token of goodwill, if you prefer. Once we deliver you safely to your master in exchange for us leaving Fire Country with our lives, he can come claim your foul-mouthed little friend."

There is a dull, sarcastic noise, not quite a farewell, from the dying shinobi against the wall as Ponytail's jittery comrade takes his place on Torifu's other side and they march Danzō's teammate confidently out of the shack and toward the chaotic sounds of conflict.

The bound Leaf shinobi squirms ineffectively against his bonds. Lord Tobirama _will_ come, if he can, but the mission, the destruction of the Uchiha, is the night's priority. The rescue of a subordinate foolish enough to be trapped by the enemy pales in importance...

_What if he's left behind as an example, as punishment for his incompetence?_

"So..." comes a weak drawl from the shadowed corner after a moment of silence filled only by Danzō's racing, desperate thoughts. "Alone at last, eh Konoha? However shall we pass the time?"

A wet, gagging cough interrupts the feeble attempt at light innuendo.

"Whatever little I have remaining... I would know the answers to a few questions I've long held about your village, if you'd be so kind as to oblige me."

Danzō's muffled snarl is met with rolling, unimpressed dark eyes, and the Leaf shinobi flinches as Kagami painfully flops over onto the floor next to him so that they are lying face to face.

"Perhaps," the Uchiha grunts out through bloody, clenched teeth, "considering our current... _limitations_ , discourse might be better held somewhere there is no need for physical speech."

Just as Danzō's mind determines what his captor intends, he is swept away from the dirt floor of the filthy shack in a wave of black and crimson, nearly toppling over a passing gaggle of pre-genin as they race for the entrance of Konoha's Academy.

He recognizes his younger self amongst the brats, gesticulating furiously at Hiruzen (who is obviously and typically ignoring him, the little bastard) to emphasize some well-thought point or other as they head into a classroom and take their seats.

Danzō dazedly follows behind, lurking at the back of the room as the teacher brings the beginning of the school day to order.

"So this is Konoha's famed Academy," the interested voice in Danzō's right ear causes him to whirl and attempt to bring a non-existent weapon to bear.

Uchiha Kagami, upright, whole and not obviously seeping any vital bodily fluids, ignores his flailing to focus on the start of the lecture.

"I've never even seen the building for myself," the enemy nin explains with a small, enigmatic smile to his captive as the teacher drones on in the background. "I expected something more... militaristic."

Danzō huffs, and crosses his arms over his chest, attempting to regain his composure. "Lord Tobirama is of the opinion that the growing mind requires just as much training as the body, if not more. Does that clash with _Setsuna's_ views on education?"

The pittance of good humor gracing the Uchiha's face twists, sharpens as he shrugs carelessly. "You'd have to ask someone he actually allowed to receive one. I can read and write enough to get by, and the same is true of most of my agemates."

Kagami's crimson eyes sweep the classroom of Danzō's memory fiercely, with no little jealousy sparking in them. "There is no pursuit of sciences, no exploration of geography. Our lessons are comprised entirely of history."

Danzō takes advantage of the Uchiha's distraction to strike, trying to unfocus the man enough to escape the bizarre and uncomfortably personal genjutsu.

Kagami, Sharingan burning bright, dodges him fluidly as the background swirls from the classroom setting into a nauseatingly blurry sea of color and sound.

"Uchiha history focusing, of course, on _one_ specific topic," the man lands gracefully in tall grass as Danzō stumbles into a clearing of a familiar training ground, where a distinctive, near-regal figure dressed in black appears to be holding court surrounded by five young shinobi, their shiny new hitai-ate unblemished and gleaming in the sunlight.

"The Senju," Kagami hisses as Tobirama's silver head turns in their direction, the Uchiha's fists clenching at his side until Konohagakure's founder redirects his attention to an insistently bouncing miniature Homura.

"Our sole purpose, Setsuna has taught us, from first breath to-" the Uchiha coughs bitterly with a gesture to his own chest, "is the complete annihilation of our ancient foes and all who would ally with them."

"Suicidal." Danzō grunts, still a bit unnerved from the change of scenery and Kagami tilts his head slightly in agreement.

"One broken, dying clan against an entire shinobi village that grows stronger by the year? Of course. But when it's all you've ever known... and young minds are _so_ easily manipulated."

The Uchiha, the illusion, sighs deeply, and there is the hint of traitorous relief in the resignation of the sound. "But after tonight..."

"You honestly don't dare to hope," Danzō says, "As your comrades certainly seem to, that the Hokage will show mercy to any sincere Uchiha that offer their unconditional surrender and fall on their faces before him?"

"If you're stupid enough to threaten a monster's spawn, the only _mercy_ you might anticipate is swift death by fang or claw." Kagami's face pulls tight again as his left arm comes up to wrap itself around his chest. "Or, more realistically - slow and agonizing by fucking Suiton."

Before Danzō can respond or take advantage of the fact that the Uchiha's very real pain is bleeding over into the heartier illusion, young Hiruzen, one of the previously alluded to spawn, takes apparent offense to something his teacher has said and starts rebelliously flashing through sloppy handsigns.

Danzō remembers what is to come next.

A cloud of smoke fills the clearing before revealing a cartoonish caricature of their sensei shaking a lecturing finger at the true Hokage, crimson slashed face squashed in a bit like a disgruntled, shaven cat, and Tobirama's distinctive fur collar now a giant white puffball entirely surrounding the monstrosity's head.

It's only a moment before the slipshod henge breaks, sending a dizzy, panting Hiruzen crashing to the ground in exhaustion.

Tobirama remains entirely unresponsive for several tense heartbeats before, seemingly against the Senju's will, the corners of his lips turn up _just_ a bit, and he huffs lightly, twice.

"Not a... _terrible_ first attempt, Saru."

Danzō squelches the ingrained flicker of jealousy that flares up, even after all this time, at his master's praise for his rival's moronic antics.

Kagami blinks in disbelief.

"He - that... was that a _smile_? Did Tobirama of the Senju, the soulless, stone-faced God of Shinobi- just _chuckle_?

"It's almost as though he's a flawed and fallible mortal instead of the child-hungry demon you Uchiha have built up in your minds," Danzō grumbles, arms folded again as he contemplates his next attempt at escape.

"And that's... that's his heir apparent there, Sarutobi Hiruzen? He retained the Senju's favor? He wasn't..." Kagami struggles, bewilderment plain, " _Disciplined_ for such insubordination?"

Danzō catches the emphasis on the word, scrutinizes it for a moment. Had Uchiha Setsuna, by now probably himself only an unpleasant memory, indeed ruled over his fearful underlings with a heavier hand than his Senju counterpart?

"The Hokage, contrary to your assumptions, does not believe himself an omnipotent deity at liberty to smite those who dare to jest at his expense."

"Hmph," the Uchiha turns away and declares with all the unsteady levity of one who has had their worldview drastically shaken,"Will wonders never cease?"

He stands rigid, seemingly struck still and silent by the revelation until Danzō's patience and apprehension snap all at once and he bites out, "You bore into my skull to rifle through the memories of one of Senju Tobirama's personally selected subordinates, and _that_ is all you wanted to know about? The Academy?"

"No," Kagami says softly, still unmoving and facing away from his captive. "I wanted, _want_ , to know more, of course. There are so many fragile _truths_ Setsuna has fed us since we were children, about the Senju and his village..."

The Uchiha turns to smile weakly at him again. "A bitter confirmation, had my recent traitorous thoughts been proven correct. Had we found the courage to plead mercy for old sins and allied with the Hokage long ago... would we _all_ have been better off for it?"

Kagami falls hard to his knees, groaning, and the world spins madly around Danzō again. "I suppose I'll leave this life still wondering. Thank you for showing me a shard of reality, Konoha; as much as you understand it to be, at least."

"My name is _Shimura Danzō_ , you bastard - you must know that much, rooting so casually around in my mind as though you'd been invited - damn _you_ and your _thanks_ and your _Sharingan_!" Danzō strides forward through the disorienting swirl and grabs his captor by the collar.

"Now end this nonsense, _Uchiha Kagami_!"

"The genjutsu will break when I've... finished," the illusion chokes out, "and you'll awaken to find you have our cozy abode all to yourself. It's foolish, but I... I don't want my last act in this life to be one of cruelty- of, of violation."

Demonic eyes nearly delirious with bled-over pain find the Leaf shinobi's again.

"Please, while there's still a little time- allow me to share my most precious memory with you."

As distasteful as this entire invasive ordeal has been, Danzō understands, albeit begrudgingly, that this unusual offer is as close to an apology, to reparation for Kagami's role in this night's events that he will ever receive, and, following troublesome curiosity against his own better judgment, he slowly nods in assent.

Constrained relief bleeds across the Uchiha's pale face before it contorts in concentration, and the unsettling change of memory begins for the final time.

_"Kai!"_

Danzō blearily regains his hold on reality as Torifu, absent his Uchiha guard, pulls him unsteadily to his feet. Kagami now lies motionless on his back upon the dirt floor, feet facing toward his former prisoner. Kneeling over the enemy shinobi so that Danzō can discern neither of their faces is the unmistakable form of Senju Tobirama, his deep blue armor and white fur collar spattered with dark red stains.

There is a soft noise of desperate objection keening from Kagami's throat as one weak arm feebly tries to rise in vain protest of the Senju's actions. This is followed immediately by a stomach-turning squelch.

The Uchiha's whimpers fade to near inaudible as the vulgar sound is repeated, and his ineffective arm falls limply again to the floor.

Tobirama rises to full height, almost absently pulls an empty vial from his weapons pouch, deposits the spoils of battle within, replaces the container with a clink of glass meeting glass, then turns to glance over his shoulder at the two freed Leaf shinobi.

"Regroup with Saru and the others at the northern border of the camp. Use caution. The night is nearly won, but it would be foolish to yet lower our guard."

Torifu nods, and Danzō barely has time to croak out an affirmative before his commander has drawn one of his specially marked kunai and subsequently disappeared.

The enemy nin lying at their feet moans incomprehensibly. Danzō inhales deeply through his nose.

"Uchiha."

The pathetic noises continue unhindered, and the young Shimura grits his teeth before crouching over his former captor.

_"Kagami!"_

The dying shinobi falls silent for a moment at last, before "Danzō?" comes as a feeble, questioning rasp, the wavering tone more like that of a lost child than a fearsome Uchiha soldier. The man's bloody eyelids flutter, and the Leaf shinobi's calloused hand firmly settles over the upper portion of the filthy, ruined face, unwilling to risk himself seeing what is no longer there _to see_.

"The memory," Danzō hisses as calmly as he can through clenched teeth, the night's many sources of nausea eating away at his control over his guts. "You said you were going to show me the one you hold most precious - what was it?"

"Lightning storm," Kagami promptly, weakly, responds, gagging again against the ichor in his throat. It seems the persistence of this particular memory cannot be repressed, even here at the torturous precipice of his demise.

"The height of the summer of my thirteenth year; I-I stole away from training and climbed up a cliff overlooking the river to watch the dark clouds roll in."

_And what might that little selfishness have cost you?_ Danzō wonders with some small, bitter and entirely involuntary empathy for the shinobi twitching slightly on the bloodstained dirt floor.

Slowly, subtly, the tension eases in the man's limbs, in what Danzō can see of his face, as he loses himself to reminiscence.

"It raged on for _hours_ \- I'd never seen such incredible raw power, such unrestrained, furious grace."

Kagami, seemingly somewhere beyond the filthy shack, the horrors of the night, sighs softly, a longing little burble eking through saliva and blood. A ragged breath later and some cruel situational awareness begins to reassert itself as he starts to tremble again beneath his adversary.

"W-wish I could show you... so beautifu-"

The sound, the _feel_ , of the man's neck snapping under his hands will echo in Danzō's less pleasant dreams for years to come. Kagami's body falls entirely limp beneath him, still and silent at last as the Leaf shinobi rises to his feet and turns away.

Danzō ignores the odd expression of pity that Torifu directs at him as he passes his teammate and exits the shack turned mausoleum. The Akimichi follows him out, and as one they swiftly depart for the northern border of the Uchiha camp and their waiting comrades, putting this particular incident behind them.

As Lord Tobirama had said, the night is not won yet, and there is no purpose in dwelling upon such inconsequential things.


End file.
